One Snarky Chica with Issues

It is no secret that most store bought deodorants and antiperspirants contain several ingredients that have been linked to serious health problems. I am talking about things like Alzheimer’s disease and cancers. With that in mind, I have been researching some safer more natural alternatives for deodorant and anti-perspirant.

If you do a search you will see that there are many companies that sell conventional deodorant/ antiperspirants that claim that they are safer alternatives. Upon closer inspection I found the “safer” typically meant “we only have one of those nasty chemicals instead of several” and that was not what I was searching for.

Eventually I did come across some completely safe alternatives that I am going to try out. I also learned that there is nothing natural about anti-perspirants, so you can only get natural deodorant, but some of the things below do also limit sweating. And if any of them work, it will also be less expensive! Here are some of the tips that I came across for natural alternatives for deodorant:

• Wash with baking soda under your arms when in the shower
• Use lemon or lime juice under your arms - you can just cut a lemon or lime in half and apply it that way. (remember not to do this after shaving- ouchie!)
• Use a mixture of equals parts baking soda and non-GMO cornstarch or just baking soda and dab under arms as a deodorant. You can even add a drop of your favorite essential oil to customize it. (Some people have mentioned that this can stain dark clothes if you sweat in them. It washes out easily but is unsightly.)
• Use rubbing alcohol to clean the bacteria from armpits (remember not to do this after shaving- ouchie!)
• Sage tea - drink it and use it on your armpits
• Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar dabbed on the armpit is supposed to be effective, and supposedly the vinegar smell goes away quickly.

I also read a lot about getting a rock crystal from health stores that you use as deodorant. I am not at all familiar with this, so I have no idea about the cost. Lots of people seem to swear by it. And supposedly one stone will last for a year! Anyone used one of these? Do they have them at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s?

For some info on what’s so bad about conventional deodorants and antiperspirants, have read here.

If you have tried any of the above please let me know! I plan on experimenting with the above and will let you all know what works and what doesn’t for me.